Airplane motor and propeller mounting and adjusting means



March 31, 1931.

J. F. CONNOR 1,799,005

AIRPLANE MOTOR AND PROPELLER MOUNTlNG AND ADJUSTING MEANS Filed Oct. 17,1929 2 Sheet$-$heet 1 7r j m 5/ 5/ E if j k\ Z z I J I I I (1H0: new

March 31, 1931. J. F. CONNOR AIRPLANE MOTOR AND PROPELLER MOUNTING ANDADJUSTING MEANS Filed Oct. 17, 1929 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Patented Mar, 31,1931 UNITED STATES JAMES F. CONNOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO AIRPLANE MOTORAND PROPELLER MOUNTING AND ADJUSTING MEANS Application filed October 17,1929. Serial No. 400,336.

This invention relates to airplanes, and more particularly to novel andsimple means for mounting the motors of airplanes.-

The invention has for one of its objects to to provide means of thecharacter stated which shall be adapted to permit the motor and proellerof an airplane to be readily moved l rom their normal to an upwardl andforwardly inclined position to the on that such W a reduction may e madein the landing speed as to reduce landing hazards to the minimum and toenable a safe landing to be made in a comparatively small area, to theend that an airplane in flight may hover to some extent, to the end thatan airplane may cruise about at a comparatively low rate of speedwithout gaining or losing altitude, and to the end that an airplane 1nflight at a high rate of speed may quickly gain altitude.

The invention has for a further object to provide means of the characterstated which shall be under the instant control of the pilot and adaptedto permit the motor and propeller to be tilted upwardly to the requiredangle and at a rapid or slow rate of speed as conditions may require.

The invention has for a further object to provide means of the characterstated which shall be adapted to permit the motor and propeller to bereturned from its tilted to its normal position at a rapid or slow rateof speed as conditions may require.

The invention has for a further object to provide means of the characterstated which will permit the upward tilting of the motor and propellerand their return to normal position without injury to the fuel supplytubes of the motor.

The invention has for a still further object to provide means of thecharacter stated "which shall be strong, durable and compact and capableof being readily secured to and within the nose of the fuselage of anairplane.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontalsection illustrating the application of the means for mounting the motorand propeller for upward tilting movement;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the horizontal planes indicated bythe line 4:4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated bythe line 55 of Fi ure 3.

Re erring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the nose of thefuselage of an airplane, 2 the motor and 3 the propeller of theairplane. The motor 2 is of the radial type, and the propeller 3 issecured, as at 4, to the front end of the crank shaft 5 of the motor. 7

The means for mounting the motor 2 comprises a frame 6 which is arrangedwithin the nose 1 of the fuselage and secured thereto in any suitablemanner. The frame 6 comprises a bar 7 which curves downwardly andforwardly from the upper to the lower side of the fuselage nose 1, andarms 8 which curve laterally outward and forwardl from opposite sides ofthe bar. The bar and arms 8 are connected at a point adjacent the upperend of the former, and the concave face of the bar is arranged foremostand provided with rack teeth 9. The front end portions of the arms-8 arelaterally enlarged, as at 10, and formed to provide pivot lugs 11. Eacharm 9 8 is provided with a pair of pivot lugs 11, and the la s areprovided with horizontally alined hearing openings 12 in which are journaled trunnions 13 carried by pivot lugs 14 extending rearwardly fromthe rear 5 side of the motor 2. Each of the pivot lugs 14 is arrangedbetween a pair of the pivot lugs 11, and the trunnions 12 are fixedlysecured to the pivot lugs 14. The trunions 13 pivotally connect themotor 2 to the frame 6 turned to normal for tilting movement about anaxis located transversely of and intersecting the longitudinal axis ofthe motor shaft 5 and concentric to the rack teeth 9.

A housing 15 of elliptical formation in horizontal section and ofsemi-circular-forma-- tion in vertical section is arranged within theframe 6 and is secured, as at 16, to the rear side of the. motor2. Thehousing 15 is prowided in its rear side with an opening 17, andextending through this opening and engaging the rack teeth 9 is a wormpinion 18 which is secured to a vertical shaft 19 journaled in bearings20 formed in thehousing 15 above and below the openin 17. The pmion 18is fixed by 'a spline 21 to the shaft 19 and the shaft is provided belowthe pinion with a beveled ear 22. As the pinion 18 is journaled in thehousing 15, and as the housin is fixed to the motor 2, the rotation ofthe pinion in one direction will result in the motor and propeller 3being tilted upwardly, and the rotation of the pinion in the oppositedirection will result in the motor and propeller being reosition. Meansare provided for effecting the rotation of the pinion 18 from the motorshaft 5,

and this means comprises a friction wheel 23 fixed to the rear end ofthe motor shaft 5 which extends into the housing 15, a countershaft 24which is journaled withinthe housing'in a plane below and parallel tothe plane in which the shaft 5 is located, and a beveled gear 25 fixedto the rear end of the countershaft and meshing the beveled gear 22. Afriction wheel 26 is fixed to the counter-shaft 24 directly below thefriction wheel 23 on the motor shaft 5 and a friction wheel 27 iscarried by a lever 28 for movement into and out of contact with thefriction wheels 23 and 26. When the friction wheel 27 is in contact withthe friction wheels 23 and 26, the pinion 18 is rotated from the motorshaft 5 in a direction to impart an upward tilting movement to the motor2 and propeller 3.

A shaft 29 which is journaled in the housing 15 at one side of the motorshaft 5 and counter-shaft 24 and in a plane parallel to the planesoccupied by the motor and countershafts, is provided with a frictionwheel 30 which is located in alinement with the friction wheel 23 of themotor shaft, and is provided with a pinion 31 meshin with a pinion 32 onthe counter-shaft. A friction wheel 33 is carried by a lever 34 formovement into and out of contact with the friction wheels 23 and 30.When the friction wheel 33 is in contact with the friction wheels 23 and30, the pinion 18 is-rotated in a direction to effect the return of themotor 2 and propeller 3 to normal position.

The housin 15 is provided with a horizontal web 35 w ich is in turnprovided with bearings 36 for the shafts 24 and 29 and with openings 37for the passage of the friction wheels 26, 27 and 30 and the pinions 31and 32. The levers 28 and 34 occupy upright powheel 33 will be out ofcontact with the friction wheels 23 and 30. The friction wheels 27 and33 are located between the ends of their respective levers 28 and 34 andare journaled upon the levers, as at 42 and 43, respectively.

A control cable 44 secured to the upper end of the lever 28 and acontrol cable 45 secured to the upper end of the lever 34 pass throughopenings 46 and 47 in the housing 15 and extend to the cock pit of theairplane. The control cable 44 provides means through-the medium ofwhich the lever 28 may be rocked against the tension of the spring tocarry the friction wheel 27 into contact with the friction wheels 23 and26 when it is desired to impart an upward tilting to the motor 2 andpropeller 3 and the control cable provides means through the medium ofwhich the lever 34 may be rocked against the tension of the spring 41 tocarry the friction wheel 33 into engagement with the friction wheels 23and 30 when it is desired to return the motor and propeller to normalposition. Any suitable means, not shown, such as foot or hand levers,may be arranged in the cock pit and connected to the control cables 44and 45 to permit the pilot to effect the tilting of the motor 2 andpropeller 3 or to permit him to effect the return of the motor andpropeller to normal position. In order to preventthe control cables 44and 45 from binding in their openings 46 and 47, pulleys 48 areprovided, and they are pivotally connected, as at 49, within theopenings.

A tube 50 conveys gasoline and a tube 51 conveys oil from their sourcesof supply to the motor 2. In order to prevent the tubes 50 and 51 frombeing bent or broken during the movement of the motor'2 and propeller 3from normal to tilted position or from tilted to normal position, thetrunnions 13 are employed to connect the front sections 50 and 51 andthe rear sections 50 and 51", the front tube sections leading to themotor and the rear tube sections leading from the sources of supply.

The trunnions 13 are fixed to the lugs 14 on the motor 2 and turned inthe lugs 11 fixed on the frame 6, and are of hollowfor mation. The fronttube sections 50 and 51 are secured to the inner ends of the trunnions13 by couplings 52 and the rear tube sections 50 and 51 have angularfront end portions which extend into the outer ends of the trunnions, asclearly shown in Figure 5. The rear tube sections 50 and 51 are passedthrough lugs 53 which extend outwardl from the frame arms 8 adjacent thetrunnions 13, and the trunnions turned with respect to the bent endportions of these tube sections. Liquidtight connection between the reartube sections 50 and 51 and the trunnions 13 is established by stuflingboxes 54.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it should be apparent that when the pilot wishesto tilt the motor 2 and propeller 3, it is only necessary for him toexert a rearward pull upon the cable 44, and that when he wishes toreturn the motor and propeller to normal position, it is only necessaryfor him to exert a rearward pull upon the cable 45. When the cable 44 ispulled, the friction wheel 27 is moved against the tension of the springinto contact with the friction wheels 23 and 26, with the result thatthe worm pinion 18 is turned in a direction to impart an upward tiltingmovement to the motor 2 and propeller 3. When the cable 44 is released,the spring withdraws the friction wheel 27 from in contact with thefriction wheels 23 and 26, with the result that the upward tiltingmovement of the motor 2 and propeller 3 will cease and they will be heldin their adjusted position by the worm pinion 18 and rack teeth 9.

When the cable is pulled, the friction wheel 33 is moved against thetension of the spring 41 into contact with the friction Wheels 23 and30, with the result that the worm pinion 18 is turned in a direction toreturn the motor 2 and propeller 3 to their normal position. When thecable 45 is released, the spring 41 moves the friction wheel 33 out ofcontact with the friction wheels 23 and 30, with the result that themovement of the motor 2 and propeller 3 in the direction of their normalposition will cease, and they "will be held in such position by the wormpinion 18 and rack teeth 9. The rate of movement of the motor 2 andpropeller 3 upwardly will depend upon the rate of the rotation of themotor shaft 5 and the pressure under which the friction wheel 23 is heldin contact with the friction wheels 23 and 26, and the rate of movementof the motor and propeller to normal position will depend upon the rateof rotation of the motor shaft and the degree of pressure under whichthe friction wheel 33 is held in contact with the friction wheels 23 and30, and in view thereof, it will be seen that the pilot may move themotor and propeller. into tilted or normal position at a rapid or slowrate of speed as-conditions may require. When the motor 2 and propeller3 are in normal position, the rear side of the motor contacts with thevertical front edges of the frame arms 8, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.It should also be apparent that the motor 2 and propeller 3 may be movedinto and maintained in any position between its normal position and itsmaximum inclined position.

An airplane equipped with a motor and propeller mounted in accordancewith my invention may have its landing speed reduced to a safe minimumby inclining the motor and propeller and by depressing its elevator andcorrespondingly manipulating its other controls. Furthermore, theairplane may be caused to hover to some extent, as the tilted motorpulls the plane forward and sustains its nose while the depressedelevator sustains its tail, and the plane may be operated at a ratherlow rate of speed without gaining or losing altitude and its altitudemay be quickly increased when it is traveling at a high rate of speed.

-While I have described the principle of the invention, together withthe structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, itis to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative andthat such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

I claim 1. In an airplane, amotor and its crank shaft, a propeller fixedto the shaft, means for supporting the motor to permit it and thepropeller to be moved from its normal position into an upwardly inclinedposition and returned to said first position, and means under thecontrol of the pilot and adapted to be operated by the crank shaft tomove the motor and propeller from one of said positions to the other ata speed similar to or lower than that of the crank shaft.

2. In an airplane, a fuselage a motor and its crank shaft, a propellerfixed to the shaft, a frame fixed to the fuselage and embodying a rackbar, means pivotally securing the motor to the frame to permit it andthe propeller to be moved from its normal position to an upwardlyinclined position and returned to said first position, a worm pinionrotatably supported from the motor and engaging the rack bar, saidpinion being normally idle and constantly meshing with the rack bar tohold the motor against accidental pivotal movement, and means under thecontrol of the pilot for establishing a driving connection between thecrank shaft and pinion to move the motor and propeller from one of saidpositions to the other.

3. In an airplane, a fuselage, a motor and its crank shaft, a propellerfixed to the shaft, a frame fixed to the fuselage and embodying a rackbar, means pivotally securing the motor to the frame to permit it andthe propeller to be moved from its normal position motor and propellerfrom one of said positions to the other.

4. In an airplane, a fuselage, a motor and its crank shaft, a r0 ellerfixed to the shaft, a frame fixed to the uselage and embodying a rackbar, means pivotally securing the motor to the frame to permit it andthe propeller to be moved from its normal position to an upwardlinclined position and returned to said rst position, a worm pinionrotatably supported from the motor and engaging the rack bar, saidpinion being normally idle and constantly meshing with the rack bar tohold the motor against accidental pivotal movement, a counter-shaftrotatabl supported from the motor, friction whee s fixed to the crankand counter-shafts, a lever pivotally supported from the motor, afriction wheel carried by the lever and adapted when the lever is rockedin one direction to contact with said first friction wheels, a springengaging the lever to normally maintain the friction wheel carriedthereby out of contact with said first friction wheels, a controlelement connected to the lever to permit it to be rocked to carry thefriction wheel into engagement with said first friction wheels, a thirdshaft, meshing gears fixed to the counter and third shafts, a frictionwheel fixed to the third shaft, a second lever pivotally sup orted fromthe motor, a friction wheel carried by the second lever and adapted whenthe lever is moved in one direction to contact with the friction wheelon the crank shaft and the friction wheel on the third shaft, 0, springengaging the second lever to normally support its friction wheel out ofcontact with the friction wheels on the crank and third shafts, and acontrol member secured to the second lever to permit it to be rocked ina direction to carry its friction wheel into contact with the frictionwheels on the crank and third shafts.

5. In an airplane, a fuselage, a motor and its crank shaft, a propellerfixed to the crank shaft, an arcuate rack bar fixed to the fuse lage,means pivotally connecting the motor to the fuselage for swingingmovement about an axis concentric to the rack bar and at right angles toand intersecting the crank shaft, a worm pinion rotatably su, portedfrom the motor and meshing with t e rack -bar, said pinion bein normallyidle and constantly meshing wit the rack bar to hold the motor againstaccidental pivotal movement and means under. the control of the ilot orestablishing a driving connection etween the crank shaft and pinion.

6. In an airplane, a fuselage, a motor-and its crank shaft, a pro ellerfixed to the crank shaft, an arcuate rac bar fixed to the fuselage,means pivotally connecting the motor to A the fuselage for swingingmovement about an axis concentric to the rack bar and at right angles toand intersecting the crank shaft, a worm pinion rotatably su ported fromthe motor and meshing with are rack bar, said pinion bein normally idleand constantly meshing wit the rack bar to hold the motor againstaccidental pivotal movement, and

means under the control of the pilot for driving the pinion from themotor shaft in opposite directions.

7. In an airplane, a fuselage a motor and its crank shaft, a propellerfixed to the shaft, a frame secured to the fuselage and'embodying adownwardly and forwardly curved rack bar and arms extending laterallyand forwardly from opposite sides of the rack bar, means for pivotallyconnecting the motor to the front ends ofthe arms, a housingarsignature.

JAMES F. CONNOR.

